1. By Ian McEwan Atonement Maegan Mathiasmeier Hour 5

2. "Was being Cecilia just as vivid an affair as being Briony? Did her sister also have a real self concealed behind a breaking wave and did she spend time thinking about it, with a finger held up to her face? Did everybody, including her father, Betty, Hardman? If the answer was yes, then the world, the social world, was unbearably complicated.” (34) The narrator is contemplating the characters’ minds. She is realizing that the world is much more complicated than people make it out to be. If one person knew everyone’s thoughts, then they would be vastly overwhelmed. Some people do not show their inner self and do not know how to open up. The question is, is everyone completely themselves, or just putting on a show for the outside perspective? Finding out a person’s true self is a main theme in this novel.

3. "'Oh Lola.' Briony put out her hand to touch her cousin's face and found her cheek. It was dry, but it wouldn't be, she knew it wouldn't be for long. 'Listen to me. I couldn't mistake him. I've known him all my life. I saw him.' "'Because I couldn't say for sure. I mean, I thought it might be him by his voice.' "'What did he say?' "'Nothing. I mean, it was the sound of his voice, breathing, noises. But I couldn't see. I couldn't say for sure.' "'Well I can. And I will.'” (157) Briony, a 13 year old girl, accuses Robbie, who is her sister Cecilia’s love interest, of raping her cousin, Lola. We later find out that it is a false accusation and Robbie spends 3 years in jail until he joins the army. Here Briony is 100% sure that she is correct on her accusation, which is ironic. This reflects the theme of karma because this false accusation causes Briony to live a life of atonement for her wrongdoings.

4. "Three and a half years of nights like these, unable to sleep, thinking of another vanished boy, another vanished life that was once his own and waiting for dawn and slop-out and another wasted day. He did not know how he survived the daily stupidity of it. The stupidity and claustrophobia. The hand squeezing on his throat. Being here, sheltering in a barn, with an army in rout, where a child's limb in a tree was something that ordinary men could ignore, where a whole country, a whole civilization was about to fall, was better than being there, on a narrow bed under a dim electric light, waiting for nothing.” (190) While in Jail, Robbie is miserable. The only reason he is in Jail is because a young girl claims he sexually assaulted her cousin, Lola, which is very untrue. He knows he didn’t do anything, but can’t do anything about it. He feels hopeless. This is how the narrator feels later in life. What goes around comes around.

5. "Briony knew she had recently accumulated a string of errors. Four days ago, despite careful instruction, a patient in her care had quaffed her carbolic garble - according to the porter who saw it, down in one like a pint of Guinness - and was violently sick across her blankets. Briony was also aware that she had been observed by Sister Drummond carrying only three bedpans at a time, when by now they were expected to go the length of the ward reliably with a pile of six, like a busy waiter in La Coupole.” (254) Briony feels guilty for accusing Robbie of the rape, when she figures out that it may be a man by the name of Paul Marshall. Briony’s life changing false accusation has resulted in atonement for her wrongdoings, which involves obstacles such as the wrath of Sister Drummond for being trained as a nurse in the war. She is having to do the “dirty work.” This shows the theme of karma as well.

6. "If I'm lucky it might turn out to be somewhat benign. I might not be unhappy - just a dim old biddy in a chair, knowing nothing, expecting nothing.” (334) The narrator is revealing that she lives in so much regret that she would rather be thoughtless, so she didn’t have to feel any pain anymore. This shows how much one event in a lifetime can affect a person. This is part of her punishment for sending Robbie to jail.

7. Connection Personal In Atonement by Ian McEwan, I connected to Briony and her atonement. As a teen, accepting mistakes is part of growing up. Upon my last couple years, I have accepted to learn from my mistakes and make up for them, also known as atonement. Sometimes because of a false accusation, like Briony’s, a person has to accept the consequences they will face in order to be absolved from their wrongdoings. When absolved from their sins at confession, Catholics sometimes have to do penance in order to be fully absolved from their sins. It is also as hard to forgive as it is to be forgiven, which is also another factor. Forgiveness can make or break a relationship, and it is vital to learn to forgive and ask for forgiveness. Just like how it was very hard for Cecilia and especially Robbie to forgive Briony for the crime she committed. Sometimes it does not always work out, but that is the way the world works.

8. Part One Part Three Part Two London, 1999 The novel’s protagonist, Briony Tallis, writes a play for her brother, Leon. Her sister, Cecilia, comes back from college and confronts their landscaper, Robbie Turner, about the feelings they have for each other. Robbie writes Cecilia a dirty note, and Briony mistakenly reads it. Robbie and Cecilia confess their love for each other and have sex, which Briony is concerned about. Briony sees her cousin, Lola, being sexually assaulted by someone she is convinced is Robbie. Her accusation sends Robbie to jail. Cecilia is the only person who believes he is innocent. Robbie is in jail for 3 1/2 years until he is released on the account of enlisting for the army. Robbie and Cecilia stay in contact and very briefly meet after he is released from prison, but before he is sent to the army. Cecilia breaks off her relationship with her family and sister, especially. Briony begins training as a nurse, following in her sister’s footsteps. Robbie is apart of the Dunkirk evacuation. Briony is a probationary nurse under the watch of the intimidating Sister Drummond. She has the low end job of cleaning everything in sight. Lola and Paul Marshall, who Briony now believes is the one that assaulted Lola, announce their engagement, and later get married. Briony meets a man named Luc who mistakens her for another woman, and has a fake love for him, prior to his request. Everyday is a challenge to get through for Briony. She realizes that it is all atonement for her false accusation of Robbie. Briony visits Cecilia because she does not respond to her letters. Briony realizes that she was wrong about Robbie, and she feels guilty about it. Now she has to atone for it. Briony reveals that Part Three was about a crime that Lola, Marshall, and her committed years ago, that she will atone for the rest of her life. Also, Robbie and Cecilia did not end up together, they both died. The ending in Part Three was the happy ending that Briony longed for.

9. Purpose “What goes around comes around” is a definite theme in this novel. Because of the narrator’s wrongdoings, she has had to live a life of regret and atonement. Karma will always come back to haunt a person. One cannot commit a crime, especially that causes harm to a loved one, and expect to get away with no penance. The narrator is an accomplished writer, but lives a life of regret because of one event in her life. The purpose of this novel is to let the audience know that one slip up can affect the rest of a person’s life, so choose actions wisely.

10. Recommendation Starting out, the audience believes this is just another powerful love novel, but it ends up being about facing the consequences for a person’s wrongdoings, no matter what the circumstance may be. This book was a page turner, and it keeps the reader on its toes. There is never a dull moment. McEwan’s writing is completely brilliant and flawless. I would love to read another book by McEwan. This novel is complex, but an easy read. The ending was the best part of the whole book. I would highly recommend this novel.

11. Works McEwan, Ian. Atonement. New York: Anchor Books, 2001. Cited